Hell Walk 2 is Going the Distance: 100 Miles Through Los Angeles with Josh Tate!

June 25, 2012 - PRLog -- On Saturday, June 23rd at 4:30pm, the co-creators of the Hell Walk charity, Josh Tate and Melanie Marquez, met up once again at Sonny McLean's in Santa Monica, CA.  The friends have kept their tradition of holding all Hell Walk meetings-- and sitting in the same seats where they had originally came up with the idea of Hell Walk (in 2010).  Two short hours later, friends, family, Veterans, and SpecialOps.org supporters began pouring into the bar.  Volunteers from Bad Robot an 19Events.org walked around the room and sold close to $2,500 worth of raffle tickets!  Picca Peru and Mo-Chica caterers delivered with their tasty desserts, while musician Kevin Campbell and the band Jelly Woo entertained all the supporters before the raffles were announced (Jelly Woo played live music during Hell Walk 1 and will do the same next week for Hell Walk 2: www.JellyWooBand.com).   A packed house crowded the state, eagerly hoping their raffle numbers would be called as a winner. (On Monday, all raffle items and a photo of the winners will be posted on www.HellWalk.com/Fundraiser/.)  

The two BIG TICKET LIVE AUCTION ITEMS were:

*(4) Field-level tickets to an LA Dodgers game + VIP Parking + Batting Practice access to the players and coaches

* Autographed hockey stick by the entire 2012 LA Kings Stanley Cup Winning Team (a special thanks to the voice of the LA Kings and the "Miracle on Manchester" himself, Daryl Evans)

More than $5,500 was raised during this fundraiser alone! The big surprise of the night was when Karen Kraft, a member of Veterans in Film and Television (VFT) and former Army Reserve officer, presented Josh with a poster signed by over 100 military veterans, many who served in Korea, Vietnam, Iraq, or Afghanistan, in honor of the impact Josh Tate and Hell Walk are making on the personal lives of military children.  "VFT members came out in force tonight--as we will for the actual Hell Walk 2 next week--to personally thank Josh for acknowledging the sacrifices our military service members and their families make for the benefit of us all," announced Kraft.  She continued by saying, "Josh is proving that ONE PERSON can make a difference and the VFT is proud to support his initiative."

About Hell Walk 2
After walking around a 100-foot circle for 24 consecutive hours and succeeding in raising $25k for Children's Hope Chest for Hell Walk 1, Co-creator, and "Hell Walk-er", Josh Tate has a mission to push himself even further for Hell Walk 2.  On June 30, 2012, he will walk for 100 miles throughout Los Angeles and finish at the Hell Walk 1 site: Dirt Cheap Soundstage (3019 Olympic Stage B, Santa Monica, CA).  Josh’s goal is to raise $50k to create scholarships for Special Operations Warrior Foundation.  This organization (http://www.SpecialOps.org) benefits the children of military personnel who have lost parents in combat.

Hell Walk is a transparent organization with no bureaucracy.  No funds raised will be used for infrastructure, salaries, or expenses.  All funds raised for Hell Walk 2 will go to fund five college scholarships (at $10,000 each) for military children who have lost their parents in Iraq and Afghanistan.  Josh explains, "As the son of an Air Force veteran, I have always understood the immense sacrifices that our servicemen, servicewomen, and their families make every day.  Too often, the sacrifice is the ultimate one.  I know in my heart, [that raising $50k to go towards scholarships] will be the best thing I have EVER done in my life."

For more info, check out http://www.HellWalk.com. Follow Hell Walk 2 on Twitter at @HellWalk2012 and "Like" Hell Walk 2 on Facebook at: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Hell-Walk-2/269714799753130.